Bible Strands
1 Samuel 18:11
and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Saul hurls a spear at David during a divinely sent fit of distress, declaring his intent to pin David to the wall, but David dodges twice. This occurs while David plays the harp to calm Saul’s troubled spirit.
The words — וַ/יָּ֤טֶל (va/i.Ya.tel) translates literally as "and he threw," and אַכֶּ֥ה ('a.Keh) means "I will strike," preserving Saul’s precise lethal declaration against David.
The thread — This spear-throwing mirrors Saul’s later attempt on Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20:33, while the thwarted violence aligns with the promise in Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against the righteous will succeed.
Why it lands — The text records a failed assassination to establish that David’s survival hinges on divine presence rather than human evasion. It requires the reader to note that Saul’s hostility cannot override the Lord’s active protection of David.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 20:33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
- Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 37:32 Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
- Luke 4:30 But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.
- John 8:59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.
- John 10:39 At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
- Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?
- 1 Samuel 19:9 But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,